The present invention relates to a flexible liquid feeding assembly for dispensing liquid in a liquid dispensing bottle which can be titled in any direction including a completely inverted position.
Spray bottles commonly include a liquid dispenser, or spray head, with a pumping mechanism. The pump has a liquid intake port which is commonly connected to a rigid feeding tube extending from the lower region of the liquid dispenser into the lower region of a spray bottle or a liquid container.
A problem exists in that the conventional spray bottle, when inverted or substantially tilted, does not feed liquid through the tube into the pumping mechanism in the liquid dispenser. This failure to suction liquid is due to the fact that the rigid feeding tube is disposed above the level of liquid when the spray bottle is in a substantially tilted or an inverted position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,272 (to Blanc) teaches a liquid dispenser, which includes a flexible tube and a heavy intake fitting. The intake fitting has a longitudinally extending passage with a complex internal structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,664 (to Rhea) teaches an all directional fluid pick-up which comprises a flexible dip tube, a connecting means, a pick-up head and a conduit means carried by the pick-up head. The pick-up head is composed of two portions, the first having low density and being buoyant in liquid to exert a self-righting influence, and the second having higher density and being non-buoyant. The conduit means extends through the first and second portions of the pick-up head, and connected to the flexible dip tube.
Both prior art utilizes complex liquid intake fitting or pick up head structures, which increases the cost of manufacturing and the products, and renders implementation of the techniques to those low cost household spray bottles financially less feasible. Presently, the household liquid dispensing bottle market is dominated by those products having conventional rigid feeding tubes. Furthermore, the prior art fails to teach how to continuously dispensing liquid when the bottles are in an inverted position.
Therefore, a need rises for low cost liquid feeding assemblies. It is desirable that the liquid feeding assemblies are retrofitable to the existing spray bottles and drinking bottles owned by millions of families, and are accessible by customers as after-market products.
The present invention relates to flexible liquid feeding assemblies and their use in liquid dispensing bottles or containers for continuously dispensing liquid when the liquid dispensing bottles are in any direction, including inverted position.
The flexible liquid feeding assembly comprises a flexible tube with a first end for connecting with a liquid dispenser of a liquid dispensing bottle, and a weight feeder comprising a center channel with one opening at one end of the channel connected to a second end of the flexible tube, and a liquid intake opening at the opposite end of the channel for feeding liquid through the channel into the flexible tube for dispensing.
Alternatively, the flexible liquid feeding assembly comprises a flexible tube with a first end for connecting with a liquid dispenser of a liquid dispensing bottle, and a liquid intake hole on a side of the flexible tube near a second end of the flexible tube for feeding liquid into the flexible tube for dispensing, and a weight blocker connected to the second end of the flexible tube which blocks liquid feeding into the flexible tube directly through the second end.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a liquid dispensing bottle containing a flexible liquid feeding assembly. The liquid dispensing bottle comprises a liquid dispenser having an intake port and a connector; a container connected to the liquid dispenser; a flexible tube with a first end connected to the liquid dispenser; a weight feeder or weight blocker connected to a second end of the flexible tube, wherein a combined length of the flexible tube and weigh feeder is sufficiently long that the weight feeder or weight blocker can reach and be in contact with the bottom and side walls of the container, and be in contact with the connector of the liquid dispenser when the bottle is in an inverted position, so that the liquid dispensing bottle enables to dispense liquid when the liquid dispensing bottle is in an inverted position. When a weight blocker is used, the flexible tube has liquid intake holes on the side of the tube for liquid feeding.
The flexible tube is sufficiently flexible that allows the weight feeder or blocker to move freely with liquid when used inside a liquid dispensing bottle. The weight feeder or blocker has a sufficient weight so that the weight feeder or blocker moves in the same direction of liquid""s movement inside the liquid dispensing bottle. The weight feeder or the liquid intake opening of the flexible tube stays under the surface of liquid when the liquid dispensing bottle is tilted in any direction, even when the bottle is in a completely inverted position.
The flexible liquid feeding assembly of the present invention solves the common problems with existing spray bottles that have difficulties to supply liquid for dispensing when the bottles are tilted, or completely fail to supply liquid when the bottles are inverted. The flexible liquid feeding assembly can also be used with children""s milk or drink bottles, where a child can drink the liquid regardless the bottles"" orientations.
The flexible liquid feeding assemblies can be packed in a kit, and sold as an add-on device for use with existing liquid dispensing bottles. Moreover, a flexible liquid feeding assembly coupled with a liquid dispenser can be sold as a unit with or without the container.